Computer networks have become ubiquitous industrial and educational resources. A computer network can be a rudimentary simple local area network (LAN) over which as few as two computers communicate. On the other hand, a computer network, e.g., the Internet, can be a large and indeed global wide area network (WAN) over which millions of computers can communicate with each other and with other LANs and WANs that are connected to the network.
Typically, a computer network includes the electrical or fiber optic lines or wireless channels over which communication occurs, along with the various individual computers, LANS, and WANS, collectively referred to as "network devices", that are connected to (i.e., that are "interfaced with") the network. It happens that the number of network interfaces typically exceeds the number of network devices, because a single network device might be connected to the computer network via more than one interface.
It may readily be appreciated that the management of a computer network, particularly a WAN such as the Internet, can be a complex and challenging task. Consequently, management tools are required to support the decisions of network managers.
As recognized by the present invention, a reliable, valid measure of network availability can be a valuable tool in managing computer networks. In particular, the present invention recognizes that a valuable network management tool can be provided by determining the availability of the network as it relates to network device interface availability. In other words, a network availability measure should ideally account for the fact that a device might have more than one interface. Consequently, the present invention recognizes that a network availability measure should ideally be based on device interface availability as opposed to device availability.
Still further, the present invention recognizes that it is desirable to provide a network availability measure over one or more user-selected periods, e.g., weekly and monthly, and that measures be provided of the availability of the entire network as well as preselected portions of the network.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for determining the availability of a computer network. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for determining the availability of a computer network based on the availability of the device interfaces of the network over a preselected period. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for determining the availability of a computer network that is easy to use and cost-effective.